Engel & Völkers’ moving guide

Written by Engel & Völkers on 26.9.2013

Moving Picture

Whether you’re moving house for the first time or you’re an experienced veteran, the prospect of transforming an empty property into a home is always exciting. Unfortunately, with so many things going on around moving time, it can be easy to forget simple tasks in all of the chaos. We’ve put together our Engel & Völkers' list of essential tasks that need to be done - before the removal company turns up!

First of all, unless you intend to lift, shift and drive everything yourself, you'll need to engage the services of a removal company. Make sure you ask around several different moving and truck rental companies to establish the best price estimate. Most importantly, double check that you have all of the materials necessary for packing up, including boxes, marker pens, tape and furniture covers, as these are unlikely to be provided.

In order to facilitate the moving company doing their work, you'll need to go through all your belongings, sorting them into piles of things you want to take with you, anything going into storage, and items that need to be sent to a charity shop. The more organised you can be, the easier you'll make things for yourself in the coming weeks, so clearly label every box. Once everything's neatly sorted, you'll need to decide which items the removal company will be transporting and which you'd prefer to take with you personally. For peace of mind, this should include anything easily breakable or of great sentimental value, as well as all personal documents - just to be on the safe side.

Let the tax office, your bank and utility companies know about your change of address as soon as possible. Start organising new electric, water, gas and broadband contracts well in advance, unless you want to spend the first few weeks without any internet access - it may take time to organise an installation. At this point, you should also double-check all the arrangements with your removal company, as last minute cancellations can be severely problematic.

Another thing you may overlook is to back up all your important computer files into a hard drive. This is something that should be done on a regular basis anyway, but particularly so before your computer is transported. Make sure that you have comprehensive moving insurance, with all valuables accurately appreciated to protect against worst-case scenarios.

When the moving day arrives, set aside the whole day to supervise the move. Always be the last one to leave your old home, so that you can run a final exhaustive search for anything left behind and lock all the windows and doors. If you’ve been renting, then take a few photos of the condition of your home for your records and write down current meter readings, before dropping the keys off with your landlord or real estate agent.

When it comes to making that all-important move, Engel & Vӧlkers can give you the guidance you need, every step of the way. Our experienced and reliable estate agents are experts in their field, and can make sure that moving, buying and selling almost anywhere in the world is as hassle-free as possible. Visit our Facebook page to find out more about our company.